A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters

This is for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Word Count: 1153

Severus watched Rose climbing on the sapphire blue chair. Her red hair complimenting the color perfectly.

"You're getting really good at that, aren't you?" he asked, walking over to her. She raised her head and looked at him.

"Snake," she stated, raising her arms for him to pick her up. He promptly complied. Hermione was finally back to work and this was the first time Severus and Rose were together by themselves for any length of time.

"You know, Rose, I like your mummy a lot," he whispered. Rose grabbed at his nose causing him to smile. Hermione had only moved in with him about a month ago, although it seemed like she'd been here forever. Severus could barely remember a time before Rose and Hermione had lived with him.

"Mummy like you too, Snake," Rose replied, giving him a large grin.

"She does, does she?"

"She talk 'bout you," Rose added, wiggling to be put down. Severus lowered the child to the floor.

"And what do you think of me, Rose?" he asked, sitting on the floor with the girl. She picked up one of her toys and started playing with it. This one was a shape sorter. Severus watched Rose try to fit the square piece in the round hole.

"You not Daddy," Rose answered. Severus couldn't argue that. He was not Rose's father. Hermione had married Ron after school, eventually giving him Rose. It hadn't mattered that they didn't belong together, that they weren't right for each other. Severus knew the pressure the Weasley family had put on the girl. He still regretted not doing something to save her.

"You better Daddy," Rose babbled, finally figuring out that the square went in the square hole.

"I am?"

"Yes! You no yell at Mummy and make her cry. Daddy made Mummy cry," Rose continued. Severus watched her playing. He knew Hermione's marriage to Ron hadn't been a happy one. He'd had no idea Rose had known any of it.

"Do you chicken?" Rose asked, looking up from her toy.

"Do I have chicken?" Severus clarified. Rose nodded.

"Chicken an' ketup?"

"Chicken strips with ketchup?"

"Yes!" Rose exclaimed, jumping to her feet and knocking over the small tower of blocks she'd just assembled.

"I think there's some in the freezer," Severus stated, pushing himself back to his feet. He wondered when the floor had gotten so far down. He just shook his head, one of the downsides of getting older. Rose was already running ahead of him towards the kitchen when her foot caught on one of her stuffed toys she'd left on the floor. Severus nearly flew forward to catch her, but stopped short when he realized Rose was hovering in the air waving her arms happily.

"You know, that's the first time I've seen you do magic," he commented, gently setting Rose back down on the floor.

"I fly all time," Rose stated proudly, smiling again.

"I'm sure you do, now, you wanted lunch?"

"Yes, but only on the gween plate and Mummy said I can have juice, member?" Rose asked, batting her huge brown eyes at him in the way only a child could. Severus remembered that conversation going a little differently, but he knew one cup of juice wouldn't hurt the girl. He made her lunch and watched as she used the chicken strips to eat the ketchup off her plate.

"Done!" she announced. Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Rose, you know you need to at least eat three bites of chicken and not just the ketchup."

"But that's the best part," Rose replied, slowly taking a tiny bite of her chicken. "One."

"That was not a bite, young lady. That was a nibble. You do know the difference don't you?"

Rose shook her head.

"A bite fills most of your mouth, a nibble fills nothing," Severus explained. "Would you like me to cut it into bites?" he offered. Severus had seen Rose eat the chicken strips bite by bite before, but he was not really in the mood to argue with a toddler who was trying to act out because her mother wasn't home.

"Yes!"

Severus cut the chicken up and had managed to convince Rose to eat several bites before the child declared herself full and asked if she could watch the telly. A quick glance at the clock told Severus it was nearly nap time.

"Until nap time,"he agreed, watching Rose dart from the table. He called her back.

"What?"

"Rose, where do your dishes go when you're finished eating?" he asked. Rose glared at him but grabbed her plate and walked over the sink and slide it onto the counter. She was just barely tall enough to reach.

"More dwink?" she asked, holding out her cup.

"Water, since it's almost nap time."

Rose pouted but then smiled.

"With ice?"

"With ice," Severus agreed as he put a few ice cubes in Rose's water.

"Do you want to try to use the potty?" he offered. Hermione said she'd been trying to potty train Rose, but all her efforts had fallen apart when she and Ron had split.

"No."

"Please?" he asked. Rose glared at him, but followed him to bathroom, where she pulled down her training pants and sat on the child-sized potty. Severus waited outside, but the door was open so he could keep an eye on her. He heard her pee and smiled.

"Done," Rose announced.

"Did you wipe?"

"Right," Rose replied. Severus could hear her playing with the toilet paper roll. "Done," she announced again, pulling her pants. She ran to the sofa and flopped down on it waiting for Severus to turn on the telly. He put on a cartoon about squirrels that Rose loved for some reason. Severus found it absolutely annoying.

He watched her settle down on the sofa in front of the telly. He picked up his own book and started reading, keeping an eye on Rose. He watched her yawn, curl her fingers around her favorite blanky, a square piece of fuchsia colored fabric that barely classified as a blanket. Her little eyes closed as she fought to keep them open. He smiled as she drifted off into sleep. Severus rose, clicked off the telly, and carried Rose to her bed.

"Have a good nap, Rose," he whispered, tucking her in as she snuggled against the blankets. She would hopefully sleep for the rest of the afternoon, until then, Severus could finish his magazine and try to start on the household chores before Hermione returned home. He smiled. If he was to believe Rose, Hermione liked him, maybe as much as he liked her. He wondered how long he should wait to ask her out as he washed the dishes. He knew a month would seem too soon, but she was living with him. He was helping raise Rose. Maybe, maybe a month wasn't too soon after all?